


It's Fine Now ( It's Only Blood )

by jattendrai



Category: Mother 3
Genre: Alternate Universe - Post-Canon, Gen, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Minor Character Death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-01
Updated: 2018-04-01
Packaged: 2019-04-16 23:28:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,108
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14175675
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jattendrai/pseuds/jattendrai
Summary: Neither of them heard him come in. Lucas just happened to look up from Boney to see him, standing in the doorway. Like that.





	It's Fine Now ( It's Only Blood )

**Author's Note:**

> the inspiration for this one ( and it's title) came from ''All Is Well (It's Just Blood)'' from Radical Face on his ''The Bastards: Volume One'' album. A lot of his songs give me inspiration for mother 3 fics
> 
> this one is a lot more serious and, as the tags imply, is somewhat graphic ( though nothing detailed). I know it sounds weird but i've been dealing with some stuff that hasn't been going too well for the past couple of months, so this is a bit different than what i'm used to writing.
> 
> I hope you enjoy, though.

He came home at sunset.

It’s been a couple weeks since everything happened. The big moment. Lucas decided to stay with him and Kumatora instead of going back home, unable to really look at his family the same way again; it was just hard for him, and there was some stuff that he just didn’t want to go back to.

Kumatora had nowhere to go, really. She could’ve up and left as she pleased, since she’s a pretty adventurous person, wanting to see what the world has to offer --- but the aftermath got to her too, and she felt an obligation to Lucas and him to stick around, at least for a little bit. So they did; got a little cabin up by the mountains, on the outskirts of Tazmily, just far enough away to live comfortably. All was well.

But not for him. Not entirely.

He never spoke of what his father done to him, Duster. He kept it pretty locked up, all of his emotions and memories stuffed into a little treasure trunk, locked up tight with a key that only he had. He didn’t want any of them to worry, or to question how his leg got so beaten up like that, or why he has bruises that never go away. Why he sleeps so much. Why he asks for them to close the door quietly when they leave the house instead of letting it slam shut. Why he sleeps so, so much.

It was hard to watch him like that, but life went on. He was far from the man by now and never had to see him again, so that was enough, right? They could live happily as they were, and not worry anymore.

But it ate at him.

The days and years he spent like that ate at him, and the sudden and unconditional love given to Duster by the both of them only made the pain worse, only tore at his memories and ripped at his stomach like tearing cheese cloth; the happiness he got brought an insufferable pain, too, and it wouldn’t go away. It was ruining everything. It was anger and agony.

He had to do something.

He left, early one morning. Lucas was still fast asleep in his bed when Duster traversed through the house, putting on his boots and getting ready. Kumatora, a lighter sleeper, appeared from the stairs just as he was getting ready to head out, and they stood there for a moment in silence.

“ I’m going to see Wes.”

She didn’t know what to say; was he going to come back? What would happen to him? He’s older, he’s not as strong as he thinks he his, whatever he has planned is ridiculous.

But she didn’t say anything. They just traded looks before letting him go, slipping out the door and out into the morning light, while she just stood at the last step. 

She had to let him go.

He came home at sunset.

Kumatora was attempting to fix them up dinner, with Lucas sitting at the chair closest to the front door giving Boney scratches behind his ear, making funny noises at him. He asked where Duster was when he woke up later that morning, and Kumatora pretended not to know and shrug casually, “ Hell if I know.”

He didn’t worry, though. He was different like that; he trusted Duster a lot, looked up to him like a father. Probably thought he went out to get groceries or some fresh air. It made it hurt a little bit, to have to lie straight to his face like that.

He came back at sunset.

Neither of them heard him come in. Lucas just happened to look up from Boney to see him, standing in the doorway. Like that.

He stood completely still, with downcasted eyes and straight back. He wasn’t shaking. There was blood on his hands.

His hands, a smudge in the stubble of his jaw, staining the knees of his pants; a few drops burning deep red against his pale blue blouse. Lucas just stared at him with wide eyes as Kumatora hurried to the scene with a wet washcloth.

“ I’m fine,” he mustered as Kumatora jerked for one his hands, wiping away the smears of red and orange. He couldn’t look at either of them, instead continuing to stare down at the floorboards. She pushed at Lucas to get out of the chair, moving him aside as she guided Duster down to the wooden seat.

They could see the surprise in his eyes as he just stood there, arms slightly raised as the cloth in Kumatora’s hand grew to shades of staining red and pinks. The entire situation was confusing and a bit scary, but he didn’t need to say anything; they both knew what he did.

“ God dammit,” Kumatora whispered as the cloth grew dry.

“ It’s fine, Kumatora.”

“ No it’s not, Duster!” She snapped, “ What the hell is going to happen to you once they find out?! The whole town is going to lose it, don’t you remember? They don’t understand d--”

“ I said I was going to put things straight.” He was like a zombie. He wasn’t listening to a thing she said, which made Kumatora infuriated, and for a moment she was ready to give him a fistful --- but the way he looked, the fatigue in his eyes and the ways he sat so still in the chair. He brought his gaze to her and it hurt. She just looked away.

“Are you okay?” Lucas asked, softly. Quietly. Genuinely.

He turned to him, and gave him a slight smile, “ I’m fine. I just need to rest, is all.”

“ Duster,” Kumatora pressed.

He got up from the seat before Kumatora could say anything else, but Lucas caught him by the cuff of his sleeve. He turned.

“ Is something going to happen to you?” He asked. It surprised Duster for a moment, but he smiled at him again.

“ No. Everything is going to be okay, Lucas.” He was breaking down.

“ I fixed everything.”

Composure lost, he started crying. Calmly, Lucas opened his arms and hugged him at his waist as tears began to fall from his face. He was choking and sobbing into one bloody hand as his cleaned one gripped at Lucas shirt, and even Kumatora got up to embrace him. It hurt to see someone like Duster cry, sobbing and aching and shaking as the tears kept coming, as words were lost. They only held him tighter, and let him sob as he did.

Everything was going to be okay.

His pain was gone.

He killed it.


End file.
